KnitPro KP10878 Rainbow Knit BLOCKERS PK20, Assorted

Product Information

If you’ve read any of my posts on gauge, you will know that I am a fan of always making a swatch for any crochet item which needs to fit.

Throughout the instructions, I have given some guidance about the best method for different fibres but I wanted to take a moment to clarify this.

That’s a simplistic example which gives you an idea of the variation. It’s hard to be definitive about which projects will retain the best stitch memory, but it’s the kind of thing that becomes more intuitive with experience. So give it a try! If you are working with a larger or more complex shape, this process can take a while as you may need to adjust pins as you shape your work. Especially if you’re working with lace patterns.

Once you have allowed the fabric to fully soak, carefully squeeze out the excess water and lay it flat on a towel. Gently roll up the fabric in the towel and give it a soft press to take most of the water out.Ideally you would use a garment steamer because you have more control, however a steam iron can work if you hover it an inch or so above the fabric. It’s important not to work too close to the fabric and not to apply direct heat to the fibres. It’s a fine line between using heat to ‘break’ and manipulate acrylic fibres and irreversibly flattening it. Never apply direct heat to any yarn. It can melt the acrylic fibres or flatten the stitches, irreversibly damaging it. Never place a hot iron onto your fabric, you may end up with quite the mess. They are essentially boards with holes drilled into them at regular intervals, like peg boards, into which tall solid doweling type ‘pins’ (pegs) will fit.

When pinning out finished garments (rather than flat pattern pieces), you may just want to focus on specific areas which may need more shaping.Also take care that your pins do not go through the board and scratch or damage the surface underneath. Keep your pins away from pets and children. (My cat likes to try chew on the tops and it terrifies me!) Once you have the pins in the centre of the sides, continue to evenly shape the fabric, then you can add the pins in the corners. Some purists might say absolutely, but honestly I don’t think it’s necessary in every project. It really depends on what it is and what it’s going to be used for. It may feel counterintuitive, but do not put your first pins in the corners. Pin in the centre of the sides and keep opening up the fabric out towards the corners. When pinning out, place the pins around a cm or more in from the edge to minimise this dipping, particularly if you are bringing quite a lot of stretch to the project .